Friday, April 2, 2010

Lilac bushes and Life...

Do you ever have writing 'dry spells'? Seems that has been the case with me as of late. I've had a number of unplanned, unexpected changes in my life over the past few years and have been finding that the words for the written page are not flowing the way they usually do.

I realized this week that my potted lilac bush is much like me. Once again I marvel at the symbolism and analogy that God's creation presents us with. Let me explain.

I moved out of this province for a few years. During that time a friend of mine 'housed' my lilac in a sheltered area at the front entrance of her house. It bloomed wonderfully for her during that time. When I returned to this area, I moved it immediately to my place. A plant needs time to adjust and ideally should be moved gradually closer to its new location one step at a time over a period of time to minimize stress. Because of the shock of being moved so suddenly it has not bloomed for me the past two years. This year I am seeing lilac buds!! Seems it has recovered from the shock.

Like my lilac bush, and for reasons that I won't go into at this writing, I was moved very suddenly from one country to another, and before I had recovered, moved from one province to another. No planning ahead, no gradual process. So my body, mind and spirit needed time to adjust, to recover, to be restored, before being ready to 'bloom' again.

Like my resilient lilac bush, I am able to spring back from the trauma and stress that the unexpected changes placed on my being. Like my lilac bush I needed that reparation time. But The Master Gardener with His incomparable expertise was in control through it all! He gently tended to my needs in various ways during my rebuilding time!

And it seems that my plant and I are both ready to bloom again this season!

“I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you,
and that you will work them,
water them with your blood and tears
and your laughter till they bloom,
till you yourself burst into bloom.” Unknown